Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1944, General, Volume I

840.48 Refugees/5921: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Sweden (Johnson)

Washington, May 22, 1944—10 p.m.

982. The following is for the confidential information of Johnson and Olsen from War Refugee Board and forms WRB cable no. 12. It refers to the sympathetic attitude of the new Bulgarian Minister to Stockholm toward the Jewish situation mentioned in Stockholm’s no. 1628 of May 8.²⁸

A similar situation was exploited by Hirschmann, War Refugee Board attaché in Ankara, relative to Rumanian Minister to Turkey, who was reputedly close to Marshal Antonescu²⁹ in addition to being sympathetic on the Jewish question. Two personal interviews were arranged, with approval Ambassador Steinhardt, between Hirschmann and Cretzianu at home of Intercross representative at Ankara with whom Hirschmann is personally friendly. Both Steinhardt and Hirschmann felt a direct approach of this type would impress Rumanian Government much more than an indirect one.

An account of Hirschmann’s interviews with Cretzianu follows: Hirschmann made it clear at outset of initial interview that his sole function as representative of the War Refugee Board in Ankara was to deal with refugee problems, that discussions were to be confined to this subject exclusively and that it would be a deliberate distortion were any other interpretation placed upon the conversation either by Cretzianu or his Government. The outraged feeling of the United States at the brutal treatment being accorded the Jewish minorities and other refugees in Rumania and the United States’ determination to do all in its power to rescue those unfortunates who are in imminent danger of death and to find havens of refuge for them was then outlined to Cretzianu. Our Government, Hirschmann warned, would remember in the future any continuation by the Rumanian Government of the execution of these policies of Hitlerite persecution and that, in its own interest, the Rumanian Government would be well advised to take advantage of those opportunities to permit refugees to depart across its borders which may become available to it in the future. Hirschmann requested Cretzianu to report to his Government the substance of the above interview. Cretzianu assured Hirschmann no bodily harm would come to any of the many Jews in Transnistria, provided the Germans had not taken over from Rumania the administration of Transnistria which lies directly in the path of the retreating German Army and where many thousands of Jews were held in Rumanian concentration camps. Definite assurance was also given Hirschmann by Cretzianu that the necessary transportation and exit visas would be provided promptly on arrival of evacuation vessels at Constanza to embark up to 5,000 Jewish refugee children. Finally, transmission of urgent telegram to Bucharest recommending in strongest terms that efforts be made immediately to transfer to Rumania proper the Jewish refugees held in Transnistria was promised by Cretzianu.

In a second talk with Hirschmann, requested a few days later by Cretzianu, the former was informed that transfer of Jews in Transnistria to Rumania proper had been decided by Rumanian Government and that the transfer had begun. About 40,000 Jews have been removed from Transnistria since then, of which some have been evacuated from Constanza to Palestine.³⁰

The conspicuous success of this direct approach to the Rumanian Government decided Hirschmann, with Steinhardt’s approval, to make a similar approach to the Bulgarian Government. A conference between Hirschmann and Minister Balabanoff of Bulgaria at the home of the Intercross representative at Ankara was arranged about March 20. This meeting opened by Hirschmann in same manner as that with Cretzianu, stating that reports of the brutal treatment accorded to minorities in Bulgaria, especially the Jews, had outraged the Government and the people of the United States and that Bulgaria would be called upon to answer therefor in the near future. Hirschmann warned, after advising Balabanoff of this Government’s determination to save refugees, that any continuation of execution of these Nazi persecution policies would be remembered by our Government in the future and that in its own interests the Bulgarian Government would be well advised to take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves in the future which will permit the departure of refugees. The submission of Hirschmann’s remarks to Bulgarian Government was suggested to Balabanoff.

Balabanoff stated in reply that the maltreatment of minorities in Bulgaria was result of policies of Gebrowski, former Minister of Interior, who, according to Balabanoff was a German tool and no longer was a member of the Government. The Jews lately, Balabanoff stated, had been accorded much better treatment in Bulgaria and he believed that relaxation of pressure against them would continue. Immediate dispatch of a telegram by Balabanoff to his Government recommending that identical treatment be accorded Jews and all other minorities in Bulgaria to that given Bulgarian citizens, that the deplorable conditions under which the Jews and other minorities are living in concentration camps be ameliorated immediately and finally that the Bulgarian Government take immediate steps to authorize granting of visas and to provide transportation for all refugees wishing to leave for Palestine or Turkey was suggested by Hirschmann.

Hirschmann arranged a second meeting with Balabanoff about April 6. No reply had apparently been received by the latter to the telegram and long memorandum he claimed had been dispatched to his Government after the first conference. Receipt of indirect word that the Bulgarian Government was relaxing its attitude toward minorities, especially Jews, and that Jews were being allowed to leave Bulgaria by both ship and train was claimed however. The bombing of Sofia, as the possible reason for non-receipt of a reply, was mentioned. The Minister further stated that Christoff one of the leaders of his Government, had expressed himself in correspondence as sympathetic with the Jewish refugees. Nothing further has been heard from Balabanoff since that date.

It is suggested a direct approach along the lines of Hirschmann’s talks with Balabanoff be made. If, in your opinion, the newly appointed Bulgarian Minister to Sweden appears sincere in his attitude toward the Jewish refugee problem it could be pointed out in such an interview that failure of the Bulgarian Government to reply to Balabanoff’s telegram and memorandum has created an unfavorable impression on this Government, as indicative that Bulgaria has not yet determined to discard the Nazi ideology of race and minority persecution and that such a stand will be taken into consideration in the final reckoning. In a nation wide radio broadcast on May 14, John Pehle stated in reference to satellite nations:

“A more liberal attitude toward the refugees can be brought about by making it crystal clear to those countries that when the time for final settlement comes the United States and the United Nations will bear in mind their treatment of minorities.”

There is no better way the Bulgarian Government can prove the sincerity of its claim made through Balabanoff that it has relaxed its attitude toward minorities, and especially the Jews, than by permitting Jews and other refugees to depart by both rail and ship to Turkey and Palestine. Despite Balabanoff’s claim to the contrary, no such organized exodus has yet come to the attention of the War Refugee Board.

A thorough canvass of the possibility of an orderly evacuation of refugees from Bulgaria to Turkey by land should be made. The Bulgarian Government may also find it to its advantage to press Bulgarian vessels into the evacuation of refugees from Bulgarian ports. The War Refugee Board would undertake to obtain safe conducts from the Russian, British and American Governments for the protection of such ships. Operation of ships by ship owners would not be expected without fair compensation. Our no. 895 of May 12³¹ indicates that a limited advantage of this type of arrangement may already have been taken by certain ships flying the Bulgarian flag. The desire of the Board is to begin an exodus from Bulgaria similar to that which occurred during April from Constanza and which will continue, it is hoped. The use of additional Bulgarian shipping to increase evacuations from Constanza is an alternate desire of the Board. Since the Bulgarian ships mentioned in our 895 apparently operate without benefit of German safe conducts this may solve the German delay tactics in granting safe conducts which so far have immobilized the Tari. Kindly inform us promptly of additional developments. [War Refugee Board.]

Hull

28. Not printed; in this telegram the Minister requested details of any program under consideration for Bulgaria, for possible use in inducing the Bulgarian Minister to lend aid to any Bulgarian rescue program (840.48 Refugees/5921).
29. Ion Antonescu, Rumanian Premier.
30. The complete disbandment of this camp and repatriation of those interned was later confirmed by refugees reaching Turkey from Rumania, as well as by Minister Cretzianu himself in July 1944.
31. Not printed.